Trovata e distribuita in Italia da Renato 'Pip' Seghieri Credit goes to Ian Thomas o ARROW CONSTRUCTION FOR LRP - - This is an almost verbatim version of Mike Stringer/Second Skin's guide to arrow making. If you follow these instructions and damage anybody, then neither they or I (Ian Thomas) take any responsibility - on your head be it. Having said that, this _is_ a safe system; o EQUIPMENT REQUIRED: =================== 1 Arrow shafts (5/16" dia.): DO NOT USE DOWELS as they are not straight and do not bend correctly for flight. (Unless you are as crap an archer as me :Ian;) 2 Nocks: to attach arrow to bow string. 3 Shaft cutter: to fit nocks to shafts. 4 Fletchings: 3 per arrow (3-5" or more, your choice). 5 Fletching jig: to attach fletchings to shafts accurately. (OPTIONALLY, dress making pins may be used for this.) 6 Car spray paint, laquer or similar wood sealant to protect arrows from climatic conditions, dirt etc. 7 UHU clear adhesive. 8 Evo-stik contact adhesive: preferably "Time Bond", "TX528" or "Thixofix", as these brands are easiest to apply (follow instructions on the can). 9 Hot melt glue gun (OPTIONAL): for stromg joints on small surface areas. 10 Snap-off type craft knife. 11 Scissors. 12 Latex liquid rubber or "Gaffa"/carpet tape. 13 Car tyre inner tube rubber: thick strong rubber. 14 Plastic caps (5/16" inner diameter): for point end of shaft, if available, although not essential. 15 Camping mat foam ("Karimat"): soft, polythylene foam 10mm thick approx. 16 Sheet of 10mm (approx) thick upholstery/sponge foam. 17 Sheet 25mm thick polythylene foam. THE FLETCHINGS: =============== The first stage is to cut one end of the arrow with a shaft cutter to allow the fitting of the nock. This tool resembles a large pencil sharpener and is designed to taper the end of the shaft. Taper all your shafts (one end only) and spray them the required colour. We (Mike) find white best to allow the arrow to be visible in undergrowth etc. for retrieval. When taking the time to make a good set of arrows it is preferable to seal the wood with some finish, even a coat of varnish, as this prevents damp etc. from warping the shaft. The arrow should now be fletched. A jig will put all your fletchings on in exactly the same way, which makes for a more accurate arrow, but the process can be done by hand. Each fletching should sit across the shaft to encourage the arrow to spin during flight, enabling it to fly straighter. Using three dress-making pins, one at either end and one in the middle of the fletching, pierce through the quill into the arrow shaft, after first applying a line of clear glue across the bottom edge of the quill. Repeat this process with the other two fletchings, spacing them evenly around the shaft. ................................. <- Line of glue. ================================== <- Quill |~~~---___ | | | ~~~---__| /| | |~~~---____--~ | + <------------> + + |- Pins pierce the quill._^ Arrow shaft-> __--~~|~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--------------------------- Nock taper -> | | ~~--__|_____============================================= | | | _____-- \ | _____-----|~~~~~ ~|--_______-----~~~~~ | + + _-~~~~~------------__________ <- fletching -----|___________--------------------------------- Shaft -> < _________----------~~~~~~~~~~ <- fletching. -------------------------------------------------- ~-________---------~~~~~~~~~~ <- fletching. Attempt to show angle of fletchings across shaft. (Repeat after me: "I hate ASCII, I hate ASCII...." ;>) The nock may be glued in position in line with one feather, the 'cock feather,' so that the arrow will run across the bow in a flat plane. ____________----------~~~~~~~~~~----__ ~~ \ __--__ <- nock in line with --------------------------------------------| /~-- 'cock feather.' -----------------------=================|---| \_-- __ / ~~--~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~--------------~ Lastly, the end of the fletching requires paring down with a craft knife, to prevent it lifting. A small piece of sandpaper and a smear of glue or varnish will finish this off perfectly. | \|/ .-Cut here \/ ________----~~~~~--_ |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ \ From this... ------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------- ________----~~~~~--_ _____-----~~~~~ \ To this... -------===--------------------------------------- (Okay - vastly ------------------------------------------------- exaggerated ;>) THE POINTS: =========== With a craft knife, cut out 50mm squares of 25mm thick polythylene foam (2 per arrow). If this is not available, it is possible to use two squares of 40mm diameter camping mat foam glued together with contact adhesive. If this option is taken, reduce all future sizes of material from 50mm to 40mm (But no smaller! Or you risk ending up with a point smaller than an eye socket! Ian;), creating a final 40mm diameter point. Cut a 'V' slot in the middle of each square: 5/16" wide and half as deep. (1) (1) |<- 25mm| __--~~-_ Place a plastic cap on the end | ->| __--~~ ~-_ of each arrow shaft. Using a | __--~~ __-~ ---- spatula, spread contact adhesive __--~~ & _ __--~~ | /\ on faces (*) of both blocks. Allow |~-_ __/| | | | to dry. Spread a line of hot melt | ~-_ __--~~ || | | | glue (or contact adhesive) in the | ~| || | | 50mm 'V' slot of one block and place into | | || | | | it the end of the arrow shaft, so | | || | * | | that face (&) is flush with the top | | || | | | of the plastic cap. | | || | | | | | * || | | | | | || | | \/ Hot glue or contact adhesive the 'V' | | || | __- ---- of the second block and place against | | ||_|__--~~ the first block. Press both pieces ~-_ | __|/ | together firmly. The contact adhesive ~-_ |__--~~ | will hold the two halves together ~ | whilst the hot glue cools. The hot |<----- 50 mm ------->| glue will hold the blocks very | | strongly on the shaft. (2) (2) __--_ __--~~ ~-_ __--~~ __--~|' . |-_ __/|~~ | ' . | ~-_--~~ |+ |.. ': | |' . || .. '' : | | ' .||'' | : | | :|| | : | | :|| | : (Dotted lines are hard.;>) | | :|| __-~' . : |_ | :||--~~ ' : ~-_|__--~~|| .. '' ~` . :I| .. '' ' :||'' || <-shaft (3) block you now have on the end of ___________... the shaft (3). Cut all the corners / : \ : <- Cut. from the 50mm diameter octagon now / : \: created. You now have an approximate | _ | cylinder, which requires some | ( ) | bulk removing from it, by tapering | ~ | it back to the shaft with a knife. \ : / A cylindrical cone is therefore \ : / left on the end of the shaft. (4) ~~~~~~~~~~~ (4) -------------- <- this face now round. :\ / : \ / : \ / <-poly block. : \ / : \ / :.....\ / ^ || | || <-shaft. | || Cut this || back. || || (5) To prevent the shaft from forcing its way through the foam during use, cut out a 25mm square Rubber -> ______ of thick rubber (car inner tube) over -------------- and glue it over the end of the top \ / plastic cap and foam, preferably of \ / with hot melt glue, otherwise with shaft \ / <-poly block. contact adhesive. (5) \ / \ / \ / || || <-shaft. || || || || (6) ________________ Two -> |______________| Cut out 50mm squares of soft 'Karimat' blocks |--------------| polyethylene foam, two per arrow. Using added, \ / contact adhesive, glue both pieces then \ / together and glue the resulting block trimmed \ / <-poly block. to the end of the cone. Following the to same \ / shape of the cone, cut the foam into a circular \ / circular shape with a craft knife. (6) shape \ / || || <-shaft. || || || || (7) \/--A - (do not latex this face) |^^^^^^^^^^^^^^| |______________| |______________| Cut out 50mm squares of upholstery/sponge |--------------| foam, once per arrow. Using contact \ / adhesive, again glue onto the end of \ / the point and trim to the circular shape. \ / <-poly block. (7) \ / \ / \ / || || <-shaft. || || || ||